The Box Step
New York - Plaza Ballroom
For just a moment he wondered if he was seeing things, even though he knew he wasn't. Diana, of all people, was standing right in front of him. He deliberately picked this place because he thought it would be safe from anyone finding out. This was just supposed to be a private thing, something away from everything else in both his lives.
"Kal?" Diana said.
"Huh?"
"So partners?" She asked.
"Diana, what are you doing here?' He finally asked.
She looked around them.
"The same as everyone else, dance lessons."
"Yeah, I pieced that part together,' he replied. "What I'm asking is more specific, what are you doing here, in this room of all places?"
"Oh." Diana said. "I saw the ad you circled in the paper and it sounded like fun. So here I am. So partners?"
The ad, that made sense, he thought. For the briefest of moments the word stalker came to his mind, but then he remember whom she was. Diana was definitely the type to be stalked more then the stalker type. Just a brief glance around the Internet proved she had some rather ardent fans with rather specific fantasies about her. Some rather disturbing fans with some rather alarming fantasies when you get right down to it. That was one of the main problems with a memory like his, once you see something like that; it's pretty hard to forget it. He could see she was waiting for an answer. This really wasn't how he pictured things going.
"Yeah, about that,' he began. "I was reconsidering and thinking about just blowing this off actually."
"Oh." She said, the smile disappearing from her lips. "Is it because I came? I'm sorry; I didn't realize you'd already made arrangements to have a partner. I wasn't thinking, again, I'm sorry."
He could clearly see the disappointment written on her face. Now he felt like a complete douche. She was his friend after all.
"No, Diana, it's not that,' he offered.
"So it's just that I came?" She asked.
Pretty much, he thought, but he was wise enough not to say it.
"So, um, I guess partners, huh?"
The smile returned to Diana's lips.
"Good, I'm glad you changed your mind,' she replied.
They stood facing each other for an awkward, silent moment, not really sure what to say and then both turned and looked around the ballroom.
"Good turn out,' she offered.
"Yeah."
Another awkward silence followed. A question popped into Clark's mind so he turned to her.
"What's with the get up, by the way?"
Diana glanced down at her outfit before replying.
"I'm incognito,' she replied. "Actually it's my variation on what you do."
"How's that?" He asked glancing at her outfit again as he wasn't sure he'd heard her right.
"I guess you could call it an homage, really,' she explained. "The slacks are baggy and a size too big, as is the blouse. The shoes are flats and more comfortable than stylish. I couldn't do what you do with your hair so I settled on a ponytail. The glasses, I have to say, were the trickiest part. Finding just the right pair, unflattering yet not hideous, really took some looking. I even came up with an alias, Diana Prince."
"That's not what I…" He was going to say not what he did, but then he realized it actually was. He didn't think his glasses were that unflattering really.
"I must say I was surprised how well it has worked so far,' Diana added.
"Yeah."
Clark wasn't quite sure she pulled it off as well as she thought. There was still a very "Hot for Teacher' vibe about Diana even with her her playing her looks down. Sure, most probably didn't think she was Wonder Woman but she was still getting more than her share of interested looks.
Thankfully, everyone seemed to have finally found a partner and the instructors were ready to begin the class.
"Okay, everyone, we're going to start with something simple,' Elaine said. "The box step, so take your positions and let's dive right in."
Bob and Elaine turned to face each other. He extended his left hand and she placed her right in it. They both were wearing wireless microphones so everyone could hear them.
"Now watch us,' Bob said. "We'll do it slow so you can see the basics. I'll be leading, so guys you do what I do and ladies you do what Elaine does. It's very simple. The first step, I step forward with my left while Elaine steps back with her right. I slide my right foot up as Elaine slides her left foot back so we're in the same position we started in. Now I step sideways with my right, as Elaine steps with her left. My left and her right follow until we're back in a similar position as we started. Pretty easy so far, huh?"
Several people in the group nodded.
"Okay, now I step back with my right, while Elaine steps forward with her left. My left and her right follow. To complete the square, I will then move two steps to the left: left foot sideways and right foot to close. And we're back in our original position. There's nothing to it."
"Now let's have all of you try it,' Elaine said, as they moved apart and started to walk among the dancers. Bob took out a remote and started the music. Ten Cents a Dance played.
"The rhythm is really simple,' Elaine explained. "It's basically 1-2-3, 4-5-6. The steps are forward-side-together, backwards-side-together."
Clark extended his hand and Diana took it. He placed his other hand to her side, just above her waist. Diana placed her hand on his bicep. Perhaps it was out of habit or that someone knew who he was, but Clark slipped into his standard Clark Kent persona almost without thinking. As they gave it a try, he looked down at his feet and counted.
"Kal?"
"Yeah?' He said, looking up.
"I know you're looking at your feet, but from everyone else's vantage point it looks like you're staring at my chest," Diana informed him. "It's a little uncomfortable."
"Sorry,' he quickly replied.
They finished their first box.
"Okay, everyone just keep going, repeating those same steps until you're comfortable with them,' Bob said.
As they continued, Diana was watching Clark carefully. They were moving very slow and rather tentatively. At first she couldn't put her finger on it, but something was off. Then it hit here was it was.
"Kal, you're doing it,' Diana said.
"What? I wasn't staring at your chest,' he replied.
"That wasn't what I meant."
"Oh."
Okay, that was embarrassing, he thought.
"Um, well, than what are you talking about?' He asked, wanting to change the subject quickly.
"No one here except me knows who you are,' Diana explained. "You don't have to do the usual clumsy persona."
He looked at her for a moment and then around them. She was right. In fact that was one of the main reasons he'd picked this place originally. He seemed to relax. If Diana hadn't been watching closely she though she would have missed it. It was such a subtle change he made. He stood just a little straighter, but it was more than just the way he carried himself. It was as if there had been a shift from Clark Kent to Superman, yet neither but somewhere in between. Diana had seen him in both personas but this was different. She couldn't help wondering if this was the real Clark or Kal underneath the masks he wore. Since getting to know him better was one of the reasons she'd decided to come today, Diana found she liked the change.
She still had some questions though.
"Kal?"
"Yeah?"
"Why dance lessons?" She asked. "Surely with your abilities it would be easy for you to learn this."
"But then I wouldn't be dancing with you,' He replied with a smile.
Diana liked the compliment, but it brought something else she'd noticed about him.
"You do that very well,' she said.
"What?"
"Deflect questions with humor,' she replied. "I've noticed a lot of it is self-deprecating which I imagine is by design. So what's the truth?"
He didn't answer right away.
"Okay,' he finally said. "Yes, I could easily read every book on dance and watch every video and mimic every step at probably expert level or better if I wanted to."
"So why dance lessons?' She asked again.
"Cause where's the fun in that?" He replied.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not out to become the world's greatest dancer, Diana,' he explained. "I just thought it would be fun to learn the way everyone else does. Look around us, there's a social element to taking these lessons too. Some people join a bowling league or a softball team; I thought it would be fun to take dance lessons. It's not life or death, so there's no rush to learn. It seemed to me that the lessons could be the best part of the experience."
Elaine walked by them.
"You two picked it up, I see,' she said with a smile. "Try moving a little closer to each other and see if that makes a difference."
She moved on to instruct the next couple. Clark and Diana moved a little closer and his hand slipped around her waist to her lower back. They started dancing again.
"So why are you here, Diana?" He asked.
"Two reasons,' she replied.
"And they are?"
"One is I didn't know these dances so I thought it would be fun, as you said, to learn them."
"Okay, what's the other reason?" He asked.
"You."
He was surprised by her answer and it showed on his face.
"Me? Why me?"
"We've known each other for five years,' Diana explained. "We've become friends in the last year or so."
"Yes." He waited for her to continue.
"I realized that while we are friends, I don't really know that much about you." She said. "I know the surface details like everyone else, but I found I was curious about who you are under that surface."
"I see,' he replied. Frankly, Clark wasn't sure how to respond to her statement. They had known each other for five years and been friends more recently, but now he realized that he probably only knew the surface details, as she called them, about her. Maybe it would be interesting to get to know the Diana that most didn't see. It was all too new, so he wasn't really sure what any of it meant. She did know he was Clark Kent and Superman so that did offer an interesting and rather unique situation.
"So we're going to take dance lessons and get to know each other?" He finally asked.
"That's the idea,' Diana replied.
"Okay." He said. "Could we keep this just between us for now? I did pick this place because I thought no one would know. I'd like it to sort of remain that way."
"For how long?" Diana asked. She didn't like subterfuge much but perhaps in this case she could bend a little.
"Not forever,' he replied. "Just until the lessons are over."
"That's not too unreasonable, I suppose,' Diana admitted. "So we will keep it a secret that we are taking dance lessons together until then. Okay, Kal, I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you, Diana,' he said with a smile. "Maybe this year I'll stay at Bruce's party a little longer. When someone asks me to dance this time, I wouldn't have to figure out a way to say no."
"You've been asked to dance at Bruce's party?" Diana asked.
"Yeah, it's always awkward,' he replied. "Last year Dinah and Zatanna each asked me. I made some excuse, but it would be nice to say yes for once."
Diana stopped doing the box step and looked at him.
"So if I understand you correctly we're taking dance lessons together so you can dance with other women?" She asked. "Is that really what you meant to say, Kal?"
"Ah, no,' he quickly replied. "This year I'll be doing the asking and the first person I'll ask is you, Diana."
"The first person?"
"I wouldn't want to monopolize your time, Diana,' he said with a smile. "There would probably be a riot from all the other men if I did."
"You're doing it again, Kal." She replied, but she did smile just a little bit.
"Yeah, I am."
The song ended and everyone turned to see what the next lesson would be.